Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs - and Hurtful Acts

If you want to understand why economists can't admit that their models are wrong, why we keep repeating the mistake of trying to solve Greece's debt burden by loaning it more money and imposing austerity measures, why the climate change debate is hardening into two opposed camps, and why most of our attempts to get people to change their minds with "evidence" almost always backfires , then this is a "must read".

If I had the power to make a book compulsory reading this would be on the list. This is a book that you will want to share which will be difficult to do if you buy the kindle version like I did. And I have already justified this "mistake" - I won't have to think about what to give for Xmas this year

I heartily recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding human behavior including their own. If you’ve ever asked yourself “How can someone do something like that?” then this is a book you really need to read. The book takes the concepts of cognitive dissonance and self-justification and uses them to help us understand such diverse topics as torture, mass murder, political lies, war and divorce to name a few. The sections on memory, including suppressed memories, and police interrogation methods/results are both revealing and frustrating. This book will teach you something about both society and yourself.

The book started off a little too political for me but as I continued to read the political sniping diminished, although it never completely faded. I suspect that there are other books that discuss the topic and may be able to avoid the politics. Outside of the political foolishness, the book was good. The topic is fascinating and they author covers it well. Easy reading.

Let me start by saying I heard Carol Tavris speak about this book some years ago and am very glad to have read the book. I think it is important and should be read by as many people as possible. The best aspect of the book for me was the fact that the many experiments or facts I had read about were all pulled together in one place--the electric shock experiments, the facts involved in the Innocence project and the like.

The work explains studies where everyone agrees there are problems in our society they ere just fine. (It also explains why every sociopath's Mom says her son is a good boy.)

But two things nagged at me: first, I know not everyone simplistically acts the way she describes, although we all may be human and thus prone to it. Second it is internally inconsistent. The authors insist we don't really know right from wrong (as one quote asserts) once we justify--but then states "but the soul wants to confess."

This is a bright shiny new theory but it is not a complete one. There is evidence not discussed here that the heart has its w0onintelligence, for example. see […]

Confirmation bias? I think so.

Every insightful person understand the concept of self-justification at the expense of truth. This takes you deeper into the how and why. Even the most logical of arguments can be tainted with self-serving ill conceived purpose. The section on marriage I found very revealing. Those 30 minutes of reading has the potential to save a marriage and in the least hundreds of dollars in therapy.

An excellent book, describing many layers of personal responsibility plus also recognizing ways to let others take responsibility without getting defensive. Where some people are so afraid of being wrong, they dig in their heels and defend the indefensible. A good read.

The material in this book is sufficient for understanding cognitive dissonance, but the presentation is somewhat bland, lacking the level of cleverness and humor that I was hoping for. Not that this book was poorly written, it's just a bit tedious at times. The relationships chapter is by far the most interesting, because it presents examples that all of us can relate to. On the other hand, the medical and legal chapters are much less intriguing.

This book did make me think, and moved me to question some of the habits and views that I've held for a long time, so in that sense, it was definitely worth a read.

If you fully grasp the theory behind these psychologists, you'll change your interaction with people and question your thoughts more. The chapter on relationships will make things clear and you'll learn how your own actions affect those you are involved with. Great read, also wrote a paper on this theory.

The authors, in a interesting and entertaining way, draw attention to our "blind-spots" and self justifications. It is easy to be outraged at the hypocracy all around us--but their cogent arguments about our own bad decisions is really an eye opener. It has made me view all the current news in a deeper and more meaningful way and it has really drawn my attention to my own prejudices and self justification. A wonderful book, based on scientific studies, arguing that we need to be just as aware of our mental blind-spots as we are of our visual blind-spots when driving. I highly recommend it.

If you fully grasp the theory behind these psychologists, you'll change your interaction with people and question your thoughts more. The chapter on relationships will make things clear and you'll learn how your own actions affect those you are involved with. Great read, also wrote a paper on this theory.

The authors, in a interesting and entertaining way, draw attention to our "blind-spots" and self justifications. It is easy to be outraged at the hypocracy all around us--but their cogent arguments about our own bad decisions is really an eye opener. It has made me view all the current news in a deeper and more meaningful way and it has really drawn my attention to my own prejudices and self justification. A wonderful book, based on scientific studies, arguing that we need to be just as aware of our mental blind-spots as we are of our visual blind-spots when driving. I highly recommend it.

Actually I read it - people who do make "mistakes" seldom bother. Especially Southern Baddists. Interesting chapters are those dealing with "(false) recovered memory syndrome", techniques used by law enforcement services - police or prosecutors (hey, we don't convict innocent people!) - and other institutions or individuals in positions of power to justify, rationalize their delusions or cynicism. Concerning recovered memory syndrome, interestingly, the authors confess to having been taken in, as it were by the fad, and preached it in their own psychotherapeutic practices. Most terrifying is the revelation that such discredited propaganda ("my 5th grade teacher chartered a jet plane with his/ her own salary & put spiders up my vagina for a year, that's why my life is such a mess, let's get these people in jail [no, I won't feel better, the therapist will be famous though].") actually check up on university researchers - do they have insurance? If not, & they are contradicting this b....t, sue them out of their jobs.

Insightful and well written this book illuminates the process whereby we get stuck. As we profess down the slippery slope of self justification it becomes harder to fight back to the course of reason and to admit our errors. Great book.

...

If you're familiar with the term "cognitive dissonance" and think you understand its implications and various manifestations, then this book may disabuse you of that notion.

If you're not interested in understanding why you're not interested in reading this book, then this book is for you. :)

-- Roy Zider

This author presents a fresh and well argued analysis of the frailties of the human mind and the elasticity of "truth".

This is not the place to try to paraphrase this great work. I enjoyed it, I learned from it and I recommend it. Highly.

It was surprising to see just how the human brain and memory work to rationalise the real world inputs so that a consistent world view is created and preserved.

Fascinating and an easy read, I recommend this book to all who have wondered about the nature of truth and memory and the tricks which the mind plays to keep us all sane in a world of paradoxes.

You will not be disappointed.

I've always enjoyed reading cognitive dissonance theory - all the ways we try to justify our "wrong" (dumb, stupid, immoral, less-than-ideal, etc.) actions in our own minds. This book is not only full of lively examples and very readable explanations, it also gently reminds us that we all do these tap dances to some extent. Further, the authors somehow make it easier for us to own up to our mistakes and stupid decisions honestly and straightforwardly. I think everyone should read this book!

Enjoyed the book and the explanations on how people justify everything but do find the authors could tone down their biases.
For example making statements like "of course, no one has ever been abducted by aliens..." Turned me right off. I know many people would agree with that statement, but to me I ask ... Are you sure of that? Have you investigated all alien abduction cases looking at all the evidence, or are you extrapolating from your experience as a psychologist in dealing with many people who have claimed these experiences falsely and then saying all people do this for this reason? Keep the language based on conclusive evidence or explain that it is your opinion and I would give this book a 5. PS. I am not an abductee nor do I know any.

Excellent read. I had to get this for class however when you cannot understand people... family, neighbors, politicians this book give some insight to human nature. why we do the things we do regardless of our beliefs. It takes a lot of clear intentions and thought to do the right thing mostly to admit our decisions are self serving. Thought our human nature can be self serving as a leader in the family of the nation it can be a detriment to the rest of us.

This book is incredible. It requires the reader to critically examine his or her own beliefs and behaviours in the past but if you can do this you will have the scales fall from your eyes. This book gives you an insight into why crazy decisions occur and what is behind them from a psychological standpoint. It is really good as a quick read but I recommend you revisit chapters when something comes up on the news or in discussions with friends and re-read it. What I would really like is a follow up book that teaches me how to reliably catch myself when I am about to make a mistake like those described in this book. Sadly that is impossible but reading this book is the next best thing.

Many people will not be ready to see themselves with such honesty, but if they are... this book has the potential to be transformational. No mumbo jumbo or kumbaya in here... just solid research and cold hard truth. Are you ready?

I have been recommending this excellent book to all my friends, but since I can't lend out my Kindle copy, I need to buy some hard copies. This book cogently explains why people refuse to face facts or learn new facts, and thus continue to lie. The section on overcoming this problem could perhaps be a bit more thorough.

This book was enlightening and disturbing on several points. The most frightening chapter for me discussed police interrogations. For those of you who have been around to remember the stories of the McMartin preschool, you will be especially horrified to learn of the tactics interrogaters use to get you to confess to a crime you never committed.

You would also be amazed about the author's revelations about the theory of repression. It was most disturbing to me that trained "professional" psychiatrists still attempt to explain a patient's underlying problems through some repression of a traumatic experience. As stated in this book, the problem for most people who have suffered traumatic experiences is not that they forget them but that they cannot forget them: The experiences keep intruding. But, the result of some patients to be encouraged to "remember" their past traumas has led to the destruction of family relationships. For clinicians to admit they were incorrect in bring forth the "repressed event" they would have to also admit that their faulty theory resulted in the distruction of the patient's relationships.

Apparently only about 27% of Americans now support our president (or perhaps the person who is really running things... the vice president.) That seems an amazing statistic to me. I mean, how on earth could 27% of the people still think that George W. Bush is doing a worthy job?

Two words: Cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term which describes the uncomfortable tension that may result from having two conflicting thoughts at the same time, or from engaging in behavior that conflicts with one's beliefs. If you voted for Bush in 2000, and maybe even again in 2004, you would have to admit that you made a mistake in electing a man that has been possibly this nation's worst president.

When I read this book, it all became very clear to me. We all do what we can to appear to be doing the right thing. We all want to look wise and knowledgeable. And when we make a mistake, we attempt to justify what we have done. No one wants to appear clueless; not even the Bush administration. That's why we have several different justifications for why we are in Iraq. They keep changing the reasons, because to admit a mistake would be to look unwise and foolish to the American people.

I told everyone I know that they absolutely need to read this book. But, they'll have to get their own copy because I want to reread mine.

This fine book has extensive and substantive footnotes, but the lousy Kindle software doesn't have live links to the footnotes, which makes it MUCH more difficult to move back and forth between the text and the footnotes. The only hope is to add a bookmark to the page you are on, and then move to the footnote section, which starts at location 3638 -- leave a bookmark at the last footnote you looked at, and then when you want to look at the next footnote, you can go back to that bookmark. Then, every now and then, delete the previous bookmarks for the earlier pages/footnotes.

Other reviews synopsize this book, and I won't repeat that effort. I will, however, chime in to say that it's remarkably readable and pretty much universally relevant. One anecdote in the book relates that one of the authors, a professional in the study of cognitive dissonance, falls prey to it themselves - thus underlining the point at hand, that we're all susceptible to this error.

Cogent, clear, and engagingly written, it makes those obtuse errors of others so much easier to understand - and easier to spot in ourselves.

This is must reading for everyone. This book should be mandated reading material in every junior high school in America. First of all, the authors know how to write. They also give the reader helpful information about understanding the psychology of mistakes, self-justification, and cognitive dissonance in practical, useful terms. I also want to compliment them on their choice of examples, and there are many. These anecdotes offer credibility to their points in a most interesting and relevant way. Tavris and Aronson have created something very special here. Buy it!

This is an Amazing Book. MUST READ for everyone.

This World would be a much better place if people would start and uderstand their own cognitive dissaonances!

True Beauty is this book, and the praises cannot be enough for as good as it is!

I love books that give perspective in practical terms. Perception is not truth and why it can't be. Our filters alter the reality of what is going on, which is why we have to be careful regarding misunderstandings. The blame game is destructive. Awesome book!

Awesome Book.
Some very uncomfortable revelations about Human Nature.
But also as many the are re-assuring.
Seems to mostly confirm my belief, That for someone to do bad things to someone they must believe they are right.
This is very broad.
A Marine Drill Sgt. is one example, IDK think I need to add.
Being in a war, they must dehumanize the enemy, to be effective, and so they can survive psychologically.
Sadly The last War I remember that I am almost certain was almost totally necessary was WWII.

But at the opposite end of the spectrum, DR,s.
They must Detach themselves in some ways, while at the same time be even more concerned with certain aspects.
They must detach, So they can make decisions, in serious possibly fatal situations. And also deal with them.
Also, How many other people would you let check you for a Hernia.
Or for the women OBGYN dr's.

The concept of creating dissonance to justify our decisions is not new, but in this book, the authors explain it nicely, easily and illustrate it with a lot of studies. I love it and recommend it highly to anyone interested in human behavior / self-improvement

I love books that give perspective in practical terms. Perception is not truth and why it can't be. Our filters alter the reality of what is going on, which is why we have to be careful regarding misunderstandings. The blame game is destructive. Awesome book!

Awesome Book.
Some very uncomfortable revelations about Human Nature.
But also as many the are re-assuring.
Seems to mostly confirm my belief, That for someone to do bad things to someone they must believe they are right.
This is very broad.
A Marine Drill Sgt. is one example, IDK think I need to add.
Being in a war, they must dehumanize the enemy, to be effective, and so they can survive psychologically.
Sadly The last War I remember that I am almost certain was almost totally necessary was WWII.

But at the opposite end of the spectrum, DR,s.
They must Detach themselves in some ways, while at the same time be even more concerned with certain aspects.
They must detach, So they can make decisions, in serious possibly fatal situations. And also deal with them.
Also, How many other people would you let check you for a Hernia.
Or for the women OBGYN dr's.

The concept of creating dissonance to justify our decisions is not new, but in this book, the authors explain it nicely, easily and illustrate it with a lot of studies. I love it and recommend it highly to anyone interested in human behavior / self-improvement

Product in good condition, better than I expected. Fast Delivery. Exceeded my expectations. I would order from this seller again. Great Book for anyone who needs to recognize what is their responsibility. I recommend it to people who want to stop justifying their behavior.

"Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts" gives incredible insight into the way our minds work, allowing us to examine our own behavioral motivations and our own responses to others' behavior. Behavioral insight is a valuable tool for improving ourselves and our relationships with people we care about. I highly recommend reading this book and using the research it contains.

The author gives us much reason for concern regarding human responsibility. The default position for many organizations is to "protect" the organization in spite of human casualty. The book gives much food for thought.

This is an excellent book to understand cognitive dissonence! Cognitive dissonence is such a difficult concept to understand but with this book, I get it! I reccommend this book for anyone who have relationships with anyone, especially people you have conflict with. This explains the craziness of people! This book was very well written and is a valuable new resource for me!

Very interesting reading and more than a little frightening when you really start to think about how the mind works and how our own individual neuroses can have such a huge affect on the world around us.

Daniel Ellenberg, PhD co-author of Lovers for Life: Creating Lasting Passion, Trust and True Partnership
If you have been baffled by how most people (but, not you, of course) seem unable or unwilling to reject their most cherished beliefs when confronted with hard contradictory facts, and want to understand this all too human dynamic, then you must read this book. Based on the most important theory in social psychology, cognitive dissonance, this book reveals a treasure chest of stories, anecdotes and facts about why we humans rarely let facts interfere with our cherished beliefs.

Remember the line by Steven Colbert at the National Press Club toward W when he was president: "What I admire about you Mr. President is that you believe the same thing on Wednesday that you believed on Monday no matter what happened on Tuesday." That's cognitive dissonance. Truly freeing ourselves from the innate human tendency of cognitive dissonance may spell the difference between surviving or not surviving on this planet. Certainty of belief should not be confused with confidence. What we need is less certainty and more curiosity. This book can help lead the way.

Lovers for Life: Creating Lasting Passion, Trust, and True Partnership

Normally a fan of either satirical novels or economic/psychology non fiction this has to be the best non-fiction I have ever read.

Very good insight to a lot of items I could personally relate to, and not preachy or seemingly biased. Good anecdotes and a very quick and easy read. I'm sorry this book wasn't longer and that I didn't read it sooner. A definite must read.